Treaters wherein oppositely charged electrodes are utilized have a tendency to develop a layer of particulate matter on their surfaces exposed to the liquid being treated, this reducing the effectiveness of such electrodes insofar as inducing the particles suspended within the liquid to agglomerate and settle out is concerned. Furthermore, there is a tendency for the dipole water molecules to be attracted into close proximity with one of the electrodes during operation, thereby effectively building a barrier or layer of water molecules around the electrode that inhibits migration of the impurity particles toward the electrode surface into physical contact with the latter. Such physical contact, it has been previously discovered, is important insofar as inducing the particles to thereupon attract one another and agglomerate.
Prior devices have relied upon various techniques for cleaning the electrodes either simultaneously with or periodically following treatments, but most have been less than satisfactory for a variety of reasons.